Fact Check: freezing a mask doesn’t eliminate coronavirus

Placing a mask or another piece of clothing in the freezer does not help get the infection under control, a spokesperson with the government’s new coronavirus (Covid-19) advisory team has clarified.

“On social networks, some seem to recommend placing your mask in the freezer. You must understand that the virus will stay alive, placing it in the freezer is a way of conserving it,” Emmanuel André explained on Thursday during the Crisis Centre’s daily press briefing.

Translation: “Against Covid-19, heat works, the cold doesn’t. So it’s useless to put your clothes in the freezer: wash them at 60°C. This is the most effective method.”

The new coronavirus is very sensitive to heat, however. The temperature of dishwashers, washing machines and driers make it possible to clean the clothes without changing one’s daily habits. The virus will be annihilated, he added.